Hire paul annacone and learn how to volley. Courier was too great a player to ever coach well. Ever notice that only the mediocre do well at coaching further down the line. Maybe Krickstein or Mayotte are available.

Andy isn't the only one who has to find a way to beat Federer. The whole ATP is struggling with that conundrum.

And many players have trouble beating Andy, particularly on hardcourt. If they didn't, he wouldn't be No. 2 in the world.

I think it's great that Andy is trying new things with his game. I agree he'll never be a natural S&amp;V player, but if he can mix it up, it's going to help him against players such as Tim Henman.

Andy benefitted from a change in coaches a couple years ago, and perhaps he'll benefit again. I would love to see him pair up with Jim Courier. Jim has very little coaching experience, but he is no dummy.

is T very popular still with only hewitt and mollick basically to be crazy about?

Yes it is (but the "golden age" has passed). Hewitt is a household name, perhaps not so Molik. Things seems a bit thin after that...

Anyway, Roddick has nevertheless had a great year - it's just that Federer is spoiling his party. Gilbert added some mental-toughness to R's game (think Roddick vs. El Ayanoui at the Oz Open) and yet he has relied on the strengths already there (forehand and serve). I don't think much else obvious has been added. Which is a shame.

I cannot see why Roddick S&amp;V on clay at the Davis Cup? Why didn't he grind it out a bit more with a few loopy groundstrokes. Moya was looping everything up. Roddick could have stuck with Moya. Gilbert gave him the wrong gameplan IMO.

I don't think Gilbert can help Roddick's game anymore and so it must be time to move on.

Maybe Pete needs a challenge. Fedex, he ain't just another player! This guy is a wrecking machine! And he's hungry! Hell, Andy you haven't been hungry since you won the US Open. Maybe Pete can help him learn to volley and find the eye of the tiger.

This is terrible news. I hope this doesn't mean a return to the dreaded visor.

Actually, it is bad news. It would appear that Roddick is looking for a quick fix. In addition to trying to become a S/V player seemingly overnight, he now is ditching the brains of the outfit it would seem. Roddick's game and results improved since Gilbert came on board, the only thing Roddick, Gilbert, or anyone else couldn't have forseen was the emergence of Federer as a world beater. Nothing anyone could've done would've prevented that, I agree with Mojo.

Somebody write this down. Roddick will never, ever, in a million matches become a natural volleyer. He should look at another young man who used to hit the ball harder than anyone else, a guy named Agassi. Lendl dubbed AA a "haircut and a forehand". Well, Andy doesn't have the haircut, but he is a first serve and a forehand. His game is definetly not unsalvagable, but you can't turn it inside out and upside down and expect to win.

While it may seem like a trite formula, Gilbert (and who knows, he may have done this) should've molded Roddick in Agassi's mold. Roddick should a) work on his fitness, b) work the points, 7 - 8 balls side to side, and c) dial the power in a notch. His encounters with Haas on clay should have proven that it ain't all about power.

Roddick's play can be summed up by one line from the immortal movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Sundance asks "Do you think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?"

Seriously, Roddick should bag the S/V and become more consistent in his strengths, first serve and groundstrokes. Don't hit either as hard as you can, get yourself fit and grind the other guy into whatever surface you're playing on. Agassi has done very well with that, even against Federer. Agassi's last couple of encounters with Fed have gone to the wire using the same old same old.

I agree with Rabbit completely. There is no quick fix in Roddick's game to surpass Federer. The power is there, but the game isn't there. Before Gilbert, Roddick's game was one dimensional, with suspect mental game. With Gilbert, he has improved in all aspects of his game, and mentally he is there. He is where he should be, solid No. 2 with several players can challenge him for No. 2 - Hewitt and Safin etc.

However, he is looking for quick fix with his game, and his volley. He is over doing now in matches. He will never be a natural volleyer if he isn't one by age of 22 consider how long he has been playing tennis. Against top players, his volley works only as a surprise.

Good luck to Courier if he decides to do it. I doubt he will have immediate success as Gilbert had with Roddick. It is a matter of fact, it is more difficult to improve at this point of his career technically. And face it, Roddick is a grinder as is Courier. Neither of their games work against a genius when the genius is on top his game aka Federer and Sampras.

I also totally agree with what rabbit said. I think Roddick should amp up his fitness level like an Agassi. Roddick's in great shape already....but there's definitely room for improvement. At Wimbledon for example, fatigue I think played a major role in him losing that final match. If he could've sustained the level he was initially playing at....there's no doubt in my mind he would've won the match.

Also why is that the story was brought here by a first time poster? I have my doubts on this one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoBadMojo

think it is much bigger news in oz than here in the states, because i think T is popular in the downunder..certainly not popular here in the states.....where's gailan? is T very popular still with only hewitt and mollick basically to be crazy about?

Ok, more on more it seems to me like wishful thinking or plain old gossip.

Same guy...

Federer woos Roche
By LEO SCHLINK
3104

TONY Roche has been linked again to the most coveted job in tennis -
coaching world No. 1 Roger Federer.

Roche, the modest Sydneysider who guided Pat Rafter and Ivan Lendl to the
peaks of the game, was first targeted by the Federer camp during the
Australian summer season.
But the former Davis Cup great and Grand Slam singles champion was unable to
give the Swiss stylist a commitment to return full-time to the circuit.

Federer, however, has persuaded Roche to be involved in a series of private
practice sessions recently and there are increasingly strong suggestions
from Switzerland Federer might have snared the former Australian Davis Cup
coach.

Federer, 23, has been playing without a coach since he split from Swede Pete
Lundgren - now working with Russian Marat Safin - after winning the Tennis
Masters Cup in Houston last year.

His form has not suffered, with the right-hander compiling a 69-6 record
with 10 singles titles this season, crowned by triumphs at the Australian
Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Federer is believed to have sounded out Roche in January as he sought a
return to the Australian coaching system. He was originally groomed by South
Australian Peter Carter, who was killed in a road accident in South Africa
two years ago.

Agassi is a better mover than Roddick. Agassi was so solid and strong from the baseline, and could rally with anyone in the world.

On the other hand, Roddick is not going to many baseline rallies that start from neutral position (w/o serve). His game revolves around serve and forehand. Hit a big serve, and use his forehand to finish off the points.

Working the point is always important, but Agassi and Roddick can't work the point in the same way. Telling Roddick that he should rather grind than to go for his shots is somewhat similar to telling Pete Sampras to rather grind than to go for his shots (except Roddick doesn't have Pete's athleticism, or volley).

I think Brad Gilber was gearing Roddick to right direction by trying to make him come to net more and more. Right now, Roddick has trouble against players who can handle his power, and stay in neutral position long enough to force him to go for even bigger shot. Agasint these players, mixing it up (by coming to net here and there), will help a lot.

(The Herald Sun is a tabloid, by the way. It also published the gossip item about Andy Roddick and Paris Hilton snogging.)

I've been following the development of this news story-slash-rumor since it first showed up on the FoxSports Australia website. Since then other papers have picked it up, but my main problem with the first story (and its progeny) is that there are no sources named, quoted, or referred to. It just announces that Roddick and Gilbert are over with no statement from either camp as well.

None of the major news services are carrying this.

Also, doesn't anybody think it's strange for this news concerning an American player (who is right now in the U.S.) to come from Australia?

Roger talked about it a lot in Houston, and admitted he'd be working with Tony Roche before the Aus Open. He said it likely is a one-off item, but then again, he didn't exclude other possibilities.

Here's the bit from Houston. (Again, it's always good to read what the players themselves say. I highly recommend reading their interviews. It would help/justify/preclude/highlight/eliminate many of the debates here.)

From Saturday, November 13, 2004 (from asapsports.com):

Quote:

Q. I have a question about Tony Roche. You will be working with him to prepare for the Australian Open?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes.

Q. Why him?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's just because we, as you maybe know, we just had a few days together after the Bangkok and I asked him if he had maybe just some more time at the end of the year. He said, "Yeah."

Q. Why did you choose to work with him a few days? Because he was an Australian?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, no, I just thought about who could maybe just help me out for, you know, the practice session at the end of the year. He came to my mind. I asked him, and, you know, he said it was okay. But that's all. That's probably also going to be the last practice session we're going to have together.

Q. Why do you need somebody to help you?

ROGER FEDERER: No, because I think it's important, you know, still to maybe get some new ideas or just to have a setup, you know. And not always have to rely on myself. I think that's the reason. I think it makes sense.

So I'm sure that Leo was taking this info and working from there. Perhaps he has more info now than we had in November.

And from what I understand the Roddick/Gilbert split will be published in the mainstream US press very soon. We shall see.

Agassi is a better mover than Roddick. Agassi was so solid and strong from the baseline, and could rally with anyone in the world.

On the other hand, Roddick is not going to many baseline rallies that start from neutral position (w/o serve). His game revolves around serve and forehand. Hit a big serve, and use his forehand to finish off the points.

Working the point is always important, but Agassi and Roddick can't work the point in the same way. Telling Roddick that he should rather grind than to go for his shots is somewhat similar to telling Pete Sampras to rather grind than to go for his shots (except Roddick doesn't have Pete's athleticism, or volley).

Jun- look at Agassi when he came on tour. All he had was a forehand, no serve. Agassi's strength was hitting the forehand period. Pancho Gonsalez, his ex-brother-in-law proclaimed at the time that Agassi's backhand was actually his more reliable shot because it wouldn't break down. But, I digress. It wasn't until Agassi teamed up with Gilbert that he actually began to understand his strengths versus other players.

After Gilbert, Agassi gave up his McDonald's diet, he began to eat right, and he began to train for the long haul. His marriage to Brooke Shields was a terrible distraction, but it did serve to rededicate him to the game and his fitness, always his fitness.

My point is that tactically, Roddick was at the point Agassi was early in his career. Agassi relied as Roddick relies on the forehand for his main strength. These two apparently diverged when Roddick decided to become more of a S/V player.

To me, the difference here is analogous to the different paths that two smaller men took. Michael Chang and Marcelo Rios played very similar games (although Chang's was much less talented IMO). Chang decided that the long body racket would enable him to win cheap points on his serve by giving him more leverage thus enabling him to serve like a taller player. He concentrated his efforts in this direction and subsequently, his ranking and results suffered. Rios, on the other hand, never left his strengths, his movement, and shot selection. Rios' serve strength was in the deceptiveness and placement, not the power.

Agassi at the same point in his career that Roddick was when he teamed with Gilbert played much the same game. They both relied on power and short points, hitting the GrandStand shot if you will. Difference is, Agassi danced with what brung him to the dance and Roddick decided to get another partner, one with which he was not familiar.

Technically, Roddick's serve is too good to S/V. Roddick's serve is so fast, that it gives him no time to get to net. If the returned gets it back, Roddick is not in close enough to hit an effective volley. Edberg and Rafter were both very effective because they had kick deliveries that enabled them to get in close. McEnroe was in because he was/is blessed with such footspeed, and the placement and delivery of his serve usually dictated a weak return from his opponents. Roddick's serve is not like either of these guys. If his opponents get onto his serve, which it appears is going on now, he is all at sea at net.

Further, Roddicks' approaches are really poor. I've noticed that he approaches on a ton of cross court balls. When I was coming up, you never approached cross court, you hit winners cross court. Approach shots were hit down the line to cut the amount of court your opponent could hit into. My point here is that Roddick wants to get in, problems are he doesn't know the transition game and he technically is not comfortable volleying. Notice that when Roddick does get to net, he never makes a tough volley. To me, he is more in the Connors vein, hitting a ground stroke that sets up a weak reply that he can finish at net. He is nowhere near a Paul Annacone who can come in on anything and have a shot at winning the point.

After this long-winded and rambling diatribe, I should restate. Roddick at the point that Gilbert came into his career basically had the same strengths &amp; tactics that Agassi had + one helluva first serve. IMO, he should have gone more toward Agassi's game than Sampras'.

I think we discount Roddick's movement and athleticism on this board. Agassi is not exactly the quickest guy on the tour (though far from the slowest). I would even venture to say Roddick has more potential as a mover than Agassi. I think Roddick could perhaps benefit from a little weight loss. He's such a big guy on the court....I think he expends so much energy carrying all that weight on the court (in comparison to his lighter competitors ie Feder and Hewitt). If he were to drop some weight, I definitely think his stamina throughout the match would improve. In addition, I think you wouldn't see the dropoff in his game in the latter parts of the match like we saw in the wimbledon final vs federer.

Rabbitt, I agree with you regarding Roddick's serve...it really doesn't serve him well in the S/V game. However, his second serve kicker is one of the best in the game....and I think that is the type of serve he could eventually use to S&amp;V if he ever cleans up his net game.

Quite right to have serious doubts about the validity of the story, remember the old maxim 'believe nothing you read and only half of what you see'.

However, I wouldn't take it as mere gossip because it turned up in an Australian newspaper first. Being roughly 14 hours ahead of the States things do get into print here, usually, ahead of other countries.

As of writing this response The Times, one of England's 'serious' newspapers has reported the same story, filed by their tennis correspondant Neil Harman.

Regardless, if it is true and we are going to speculate, perhaps Darren Cahill might come into the mix somewhere along the line.